Tag Archives: chamomile tea

I’ve always had a fondness for flower teas, even before I discovered that many of them are also good for your health.

Tea made from flowers just smells so good. And it doesn’t contain any caffeine, so you don’t risk getting headaches or insomnia from drinking oceans of tea all day.

My favorites are Hibiscus Tea, Jasmine Tea, and Chamomile Tea. These are great tastes to try, even if you’ve never stepped beyond basic black or green tea. They are refreshing, flowery and delicately delicious, as well as good for you.

Flowering tea

Flowering tea in a glass teapot

If you are looking for a more exotic flower tea, or for a special tea to give as a present, I highly recommend flowering teas.

Flowering teas are made from tea leaves and flower leaves that are tied together in a beautiful flower shape. The tea flower opens when hot water is poured on top, and it looks as though the flower is blooming.

This tea is best drunk in a glass teapot, so you can see the tea flower expand.

Hibiscus Tea

Pure hibiscus tea is harder to find in stores than most other flower teas; that was actually a big reason for building this site.

Jasmine Tea

I always think Jasmine tea is the princess among teas. Or maybe that’s just because of the Aladdin movie.

All kidding aside, this tea is special. It has a very delicate aroma and taste, and is so fragrant.

It’s usually composed of green tea mixed with jasmine flowers; I’ve never seen pure jasmine flower tea, I imagine that would be very costly.

One thing is very important: don’t use boiling water when you make jasmine tea. That is, you can boil it first, but then just let it cool down a little before you pour it over the tea. Otherwise the tea can turn bitter, and that’s a shame. Jasmine tea should not be bitter at all, just flowery and delicious.

Chamomile tea

Chamomile tea is the only one of these three teas that may be a bit of an acquired taste; I love it, but some of my friends don’t.

Sometimes they like chamomile tea when it’s mixed with something else, rather than by itself. And the funny thing is, the taste and scent aren’t all that strong; a little bit like new-mown hay.

Like hibiscus tea, chamomile tea is composed of 100% flowers. You can pick your own chamomile flowers and dry them, if you’re lucky enough to live in an area where they grow, and voilà, you have chamomile tea. But it’s also an inexpensive tea to buy.

Taste: Grassy, a bit like new-mown hay or straw.

Health Benefits: Chamomile tea is well-known as a relaxing, soothing tea. Drink it before bedtime if you have trouble sleeping, or any time when you need a moment to calm yourself. It also has other benefits; some people swear it lessens menstrual cramps, for example, and chamomile is also said to strenghten the immune system.

Study Shows: Hibiscus Tea Lowers Blood Pressure

Just 3 cups of hibiscus tea a day could reduce blood pressure, a study has shown.

Sixty-five people aged between 30 and 70 with "at risk" blood pressure levels were split into two groups. The first group drank hibiscus tea three times a day. The second group drank hibiscus-flavored water.

After six weeks, the hibiscus group showed an average fall of 7.2 % in blood pressure. Some even recorded a 13.2 % drop. The placebo group recorded a 1.3 % drop.

All-natural hibiscus tea contains antioxidants, which have been linked to many health benefits, including protection against heart disease and cancer.

Nutrition scientist Diane McKay, PhD, of Tufts University in Boston, presented the study to the American Heart Association's annual conference.